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Rachel Dolezal has been accused of ‘dishonesty’ and ‘blackfacing’ (Picture: Facebook)

A civil rights activist accused of pretending to be African-American has defended herself against critics, claiming she ‘identifies as black’.

Rachel Dolezal resigned from her role as President of the Spokane branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) following allegations – including from her own parents – that she was pretending to be African-American.

But Ms. Dolezal defended herself against accusations of ‘dishonesty’ and ‘blackfacing’ on the Today show, telling host Matt Lauer that she ‘identifies as black’.

‘I did feel at some point I would need to address the complexity of my identity,’ she said.